1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to improving workplace safety. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to an image analysis system for detecting worker compliance with requirements for using personal protective equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many workplace environments include safety hazards. For example, in a manufacturing environment, industrial equipment can be a serious threat to worker safety. Similarly, food processing and packaging plants may present employees with a variety of hazardous situations. To help prevent worker injury, workplace safety rules may require that each individual use and/or wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in restricted areas of a production facility.
However, the effectiveness of any PPE in protecting worker safety is substantially dependent on individual compliance with the workplace safety rules. That is, ultimately, PPE is useless if employees disregard safety rules or fail to wear the correct PPE. Unfortunately though, research in this area demonstrates that a high percentage of workplace injures are related to non-compliance with PPE regulations. Accordingly, industrial safety managers are looking for safety products that may improve compliance with requirements that workers use and/or wear PPE. One proposed approach includes the use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to help promote worker compliance with workplace safety rules. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,303 titled “RFID System and Method for Ensuring Personnel Safety” discloses an RFID marking scheme may be used to control access to a restricted area by marking required PPE with an RFID tag. Limitations with RFID technology, however, prevent such systems from detecting whether the PPE on a given individual is being worn properly or merely present in the area of the individual, e.g., an individual holding a hardhat, or wearing safety glasses on their forehead.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an image analysis system for improving worker compliance with requirements for using personal protective equipment.